The Northern Edit

There are so many fantastic resources available to help you improve your writing. I’ve mentioned a few before (check that post out here), but here are some more!

Whether you prefer to use a physical book or something online, reference texts such as a dictionary, thesaurus, or an encyclopaedia are important resources for all who write. It is is easy to quickly Google the information you need, however, it is important to be mindful about what information you are getting. Not every website or text is created equally. Here are some quick tricks to make sure the information you find is trustworthy.

Check It Out

One way to determine the accuracy of a resource is to actually check multiple sources. This isn’t full proof, but if nine out of ten sources claim a fact, it is likely correct. Of course there are exceptions to this rule of thumb, however, it is a good place to start.

Compare and Contrast

This is similar to ‘Check It Out’, but a bit different. Take a look at the resources you have consulted. Have you used a variety of sources? A newspaper article, an academic journal article, and a book will all provide different insight into a topic. Try to use many different resources to conduct thorough research. Moreover, it is important to consult sources with different perspectives. Everyone has a bias. Bias is not something that can be avoided completely. However, you can get a more un-biased answer when you consult sources from different cultures, political beliefs, religious background, and demographics.

Use Common Sense

When you look something up does the answer you find make logical sense? Always aim to think carefully and critically whenever learning information. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If something just doesn’t add up, well maybe it doesn’t. Continue to do your research, but don’t accept something as fact without thinking critically.

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Helpful Online Reference Resources

Merriam-Webster Dictionary https://www.merriam-webster.com/

Both a dictionary and thesaurus. Helpful for defining words or coming up with alternative word choices. (Note: This is an American resource so the Canadian or UK spelling may differ).

The World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/

This is a great resource to find information about countries and populations. It can be very helpful for establishing fiction based in reality.

Statistics Canada https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/start

If you are Canadian, or writing something Canadian, this is a great resource to find information about many aspects of Canada. Some examples include: population data, immigration data, diversity data, etc. I find the infographics section helpful as it gives a quick visual representation of different data.

Encyclopedia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/

A resource that covers a variety of topics and subjects. This is a good place to look up people, places, and facts.